The European Alliance of Academies stands in solidarity with Slovakian artists and cultural professionals and is an official cooperation partner of the Open Culture Conference, which takes place on 29 and 30 May in Bratislava.
Alliance members Manos Tsangaris, President of the Akademie der Künste, Ferenc Czinki, President of the Society of Hungarian Authors and Josip Zanki, Vice-President of the Croatian Association of Fine Artist, will actively shape the conference programme with their perspectives on the future of art and culture in Europe.
Since taking office in autumn 2023, Slovakian Minister of Culture Martina Šimkovičová has come under public criticism for the systematic restructuring of cultural institutions, restrictions on artistic freedom and the promotion of extremist rhetoric.
Under her leadership, experienced professionals were removed from top positions in
important national institutions, including the Slovak National Theatre, the Slovak National Gallery and the Slovak National Museum. The Slovak Arts Council, which plays a key role in funding independent cultural initiatives, is currently unable to function.
The Artistic Freedom Initiative and Open Culture! have launched the report – Early Warning: The Politicization of Slovak Arts and Culture exposing the systematic attack on artistic freedom in Slovakia.
Through in-depth research and powerful testimonies from 19 Slovak artists and cultural workers—including former Slovak National Theatre director Matej Drlička, ex-head of the Institute of Cultural Policy Marcel Čas, visual artist Andrej Dúbravský, and contemporary art duo Monika and Bohuš Kubinský— this report provides a detailed account of the alarming transformation of the cultural sector in Slovakia. Political interference, censorship, and suppression are reshaping the cultural landscape—creating a hostile environment that is de facto hindering artistic and cultural production.
Early Warning is accompanied by the release of a limited audio series of the same name. This three-episode series captures the key findings of the report and features the voices of several Slovak artists and cultural workers who were interviewed for the report. The audio series is available on AFI’s website and on Spotify.
With authoritarian trajectories already entrenched in other countries in the region, Slovakia’s case is a grim warning for Europe and democratic countries around the world.
We stand in solidarity with Slovakian artists and cultural professionals that defend the autonomy of cultural institutions and the freedom of artistic expression for their country and Europe.